Portable electronic devices such as computers, cell phones, music players, video games, and the like have limited battery life. In some situations, utility power for recharging the internal batteries of portable electronic devices is unavailable or inconvenient. Accordingly, rechargeable power supplies have been developed to allow portable electronics to be operated and/or recharged when the battery internal to the portable electronic device has or may become discharged and utility power is not available. Rechargeable power supplies typically comprise a battery, electronics for charging and discharging the battery, and appropriate ports and cables for attaching to portable electronic devices.
Rechargeable power supplies are typically small enough to be carried in a portable container, in some situations the same portable carrier used to carry the user's portable electronic device(s). A user will commonly store the rechargeable power supply and any associated cables within a compartment of the portable container. Prior to use, the user will remove the rechargeable power supply and any required cables. To supply power to a portable electronic device, the user connects the required cables between the rechargeable power supply and the portable electronic device. If the cable lengths are sufficient, the user may place the rechargeable power supply back into the portable container while the rechargeable power supply is delivering power to the portable electronic device. The rechargeable power supply is similarly removed from the portable container prior to charging, and the appropriate cable is connected between the rechargeable power supply and the utility power outlet.
Conventional rechargeable power supplies are typically engineered without regard to the environment in which they will be used. Accordingly, the storage and use of a conventional rechargeable power supply when used in conjunction with a typical portable container typically is relatively inefficient. An object of the present invention is to provide power to portable electronic devices that are optimized for use in conventional portable containers.